Our Lives Will Last
by VampireNinja96
Summary: A TrainXSaya One-shot. If Creed never decides to kill Saya, Train enjoys the fireworks with her under the stars. He realises his true feelings at last, and he learns to be honest and let go. A story of how things could have been :)


Hi! Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you thought. (There's 'limes' towards the end.)

Train rubbed his neck nervously. Looking at the scowling figure in the mirror, he thought of her and wished for a fleeting moment that he could smile freely, just like she could. Assassins didn't smile. It made sense that his emotions were limited. That was his excuse, anyway. How people had fun was a mystery to him, and yet here he was, getting ready to view a firework display with a sweeper he met on a rooftop; apparently this would be 'fun'.

"What the hell am I getting myself into?" he muttered, smoothing his hair over, only to have it stubbornly flick back into unruliness. "_Finding the joy in life and sharing it with others, _huh? If that isn't the most ridiculous…" Despite himself, he couldn't help but curl a smile.

Habitually dressed in a long black coat, over an equally dark shirt and trousers, he automatically reached to the table at his side for Hades, but it was gone. Smirking to himself, he remembered that Hades was now with her, in a much safer place than in his hands, where it was bound to do harm. The bullets from this companion had saved his job- in essence, his life- so many times it was impossible to count. The empty feeling in his palm was odd; from as early as he cared to remember Hades had been with him, but now…  
Who gave a damn, anyway? Maybe there was a new future ahead for him. He mused this, as he walked out the door with his bag, unaware of how late he was, in spite of the velvety shade of the night sky outside.

A highly efficient sprinter, Train was able to make it to their meeting place in a few minutes, secretly proud of himself in a childish sort of way. The bottles of milk he had packed jangled inside the bag. _There's nothing like a good drink of milk when you watch fireworks! _Yeah… that's what she would say.

"Train!"

His ears pricked and he swivelled around.  
Saya was wearing an embroidered kimono, her favourite garment, grinning with her eyes sparkling underneath her shining fringe of auburn hair. The wind was taken from him but he held it together, giving a nod of acknowledgement.

"Nice night," he said casually.

They exchanged a small smile, and she immediately swiped for his bag.

"Hey! What are you doing?" At the sudden physical closeness, he flinched and flung up his arm, a knee-jerk reaction. He cursed himself. _Damn it. Seriously, why can't I just relax? Not everyone wants to kill me._

"Relax Train. I just wanted to see what you had in your bag. Hey look!" She pulled them out. "You brought milk! Wow, I never thought you were the considerate type. Wait- you did this for a cat, didn't you? Brought it milk all the time because you had no-one else to talk to? Maybe that's what you're trying to do to me. It is, isn't it?"

"That's not it!" he said, flushing angrily.

"Were you really just being kind? I don't know if I should tell you this, but it looks to me as if you're starting to be more open. Free will is cool, right?"

"Yeah, you're right." _Maybe I should just tell her. _"By the way… Saya?"

"What is it?"

"I'm not an assassin anymore."

Her shocked expression burst into a wide smile. Her whole face lit up, and immediately Train felt his insides ease up and relax. It was the right decision, he knew it. It was what she wanted, what he wanted, and what was right. Living on his own terms. This was it. He waited for her reply, because Saya seemed completely lost for words.

"I… that's awesome, Train!" she said, laughing. "You quit those jerks after all? I told you, life on the road is so much more fulfilling than being a tool or a puppet. You do what _you _want, not the other way round."

She was absolutely right.

"Although… those bastards are still out looking for me. I'm not sure if this is the best place for me right now, out in the open." Not one to overdramatise his feelings, Train merely glanced over his shoulder and scanned the area in a single moment.

Saya nodded. "It's alright. You're one of their best. You can look after yourself. Plus, you'll have me, won't you? I'm not a sweeper for no reason."

"I guess so."

"You _guess so? _Come on, Train. Lighten up."

It was advice like this that had compelled him to seek a new freedom. From his childhood, from the first time he pulled the trigger of the gun that was almost too heavy for a boy to hold, he had never been free. That man had said 'Live or die. The choice is yours.' He lied. But Saya…. Saya had changed all that.

"Saya… thanks. Thanks for getting me to make my own choices."

She lit up with a surprised smile, and said nothing.

The spot where they had decided to meet was nothing more than the end of a back alley, but as she had said, the views of the sparkling harbour were perfect. He'd spent so many nights perched on the rooftops, observing these surroundings, but only with Saya had he been able to appreciate them.  
They sat on the crates dumped at the end, waiting for the display to start. Saya gazed up in wonder at the sky, making a square shape with her fingers directly above them.

"There, Train. The fireworks will pop up right around here! We chose the perfect spot."

No-one to bother them, at least. He felt his face heat up, and battled it down with a scowl. Even having these thoughts gave him cause to curse himself and turn coldly away from her. Saya blinked, and sighed blissfully.

"You know Train, you don't have to me out like this every time you start getting closer."

_Oh but I do. You don't know a thing._

"It makes the world seem a little kinder, when someone like you smiles… so just, try a bit more, okay?"

"Someone like me?"

"Don't take that grumpy tone! Haha… Well, you hardly talked at first, so it's good to see you open up. But… when you turn away from me, it makes me feel colder."

"Why do you say stuff like that? I can't help who I am."

"Nope, I guess not! Sorry I said that."

The awkward moment passed, but was replaced by a new sensation. He wasn't sure if Saya could feel this- her smile was still as radiant- but his whole body was tensing the more he thought things over. Not that he had ever been on one, but this whole idea of seeing the fireworks somewhere like this, made it seem like a _date. _Him, on a real date. The idea was shocking, but as his mouth pressed into a firm line, Train felt that it was just that.

The bottles of milk were soon opened, and after a sardonic toast to freedom, he guzzled down the milk. Although it was warm from the balmy summer air, it tasted like it was iced and perfect. Saya licked her lips and giggled, "Nothing like a good bottle of milk at the fireworks, huh Train?"

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it and permitted his lips to form a small smile.

"Just what I thought…" he said in a low voice.

What would he have been doing, if he had never met Saya?

Probably sat at home, knuckles white around Hades, sitting awake and thinking over his new orders. Maybe dodging Creed's sickening pep talks, Sephiria's and the elders' constant nags, and soaking up the pointless praise he was given for the cold-hearted and ruthless attitude.  
A genius in the art of killing, an expert gunman, a true master assassin, the Black Cat. Never failed a mission, never thought twice, never disobeyed his orders. He indiscriminately killed men, women, children, the bad and the innocent, did what needed to be done, killed what needed to be killed.

But then Saya…

He thought for a moment that never before he felt so much gratitude.

Was he in love with her? Well, he was in love with her way of living. In love with _her _was a different matter. Come to think of it, he wondered if he had ever even said- or heard- that word.

But since when had he ever been dishonest? _You always wear your heart on your sleeve… _That was what she had said.

"Train?" she said, knocking him out of his daydream.

He blinked in surprise and swivelled round to face her, his face meditative with thought.

"Is something the matter? Do you want to go back or something?"

"No, it's nothing, I just…" he trailed off, waving his hand vaguely. "I just realised how blind I've been all this time."

"Are you kidding? You have 20/20 vision."

"It's not that!"

"'Kay. You don't have to tell me what you're thinking under that cold skin of yours," she said mischievously. "But I wanted to ask you something."

Oh? This was a surprise. He stayed silent in wait.

She wringed her hands, an uncharacteristically nervous gesture, and her face flushed. "Erm… did you want tonight to be like, a date?" She caught his expression. "I mean, if you don't want to that's fine, but since we're here, and…"

Train made some incomprehensible noise like a startled cat, and almost swore. So she was thinking exactly the same thing. That smouldering ball of hope inside him began to burn brighter.

"Well, I don't mind," he mumbled awkwardly.

"Great! That's it. It's a date."

"Good, so…"

So what? To hell with decorum. His assassin's blood ordered him to go with his instincts. The instincts of a man or the instincts of a killer, it didn't matter. They were both instincts and he had to let the feelings he had as a man take hold of him.  
Throwing himself into the open was cold and awful, but then Saya's light was there too.

Sharply inhaling and gritting his teeth, he placed a hand on hers. The hand that had caused so much pain, was stroking hers with inconceivable gentleness. Saya tensed, and then relaxed under his grip.

"So you do…" she said, glowing. "Look at me, Train, let me see your eyes."

He found that facing her was a breeze, staring into her round chestnut eyes with a determined golden pair of his own.

"Saya…"

The fireworks exploded into life, filling the night sky with a wild display of colours and noises, an ignited art show above their heads.

"The fireworks have started, Train," she mumbled, and shuffled closer. He could smell the scent of perfume on her kimono. "But I think your eyes… are even more beautiful."

All he had needed was this prompting, almost like permission. Maybe he wasn't ready to be free. It felt, right now, like Saya had complete control over his actions. He was almost a slave to her.

She'd never know how grateful he was. No words could say.

He leaned in, holding her cheek with his free hand, and pressed his mouth to hers. Her warm breath on his face, that sweet scent, all of it consumed him.  
They relaxed into the touch, and his other hand soon left hers and found its way to her lower back.

Pulling out and breathing deeply, he swallowed. "Do you… want to do that again?"

"Sure," she smiled.

Deciding to try something different, he bent in and dashed a few feathery kisses along her neck, up to her ear, and kissed that, worshipping at every point. He lightly bit the lobe, and heard an inhalation of surprise from his girl.

He brought his mouth to hers again, and this time their lips parted together, letting their breaths lace into each other.

As they sat under the stars and the rainbow of fireworks, Train thought that, quite honestly, there was no other place he'd rather be.

Screw assassins, screw orders, to hell with it all. Saya was the pinnacle of his life.


End file.
